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By NASA
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
The engineering club from Palmdale High School in Palmdale, California, visits NASA’s Armstrong Research Flight Center in Edwards, California. The students took a group photo in front of the historic X-1E aircraft on display at the center.NASA/Genaro Vavuris A group of enthusiastic high school students recently visited NASA to learn about facilities and capabilities that enable the agency’s researchers to explore, innovate, and inspire for the benefit of humanity.
Engineering club students from Palmdale High School in California were able to connect classroom lessons to real-world applications, sparking curiosity and ambition while at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. “I learned a lot about the different careers that you can get at a place like NASA,” student Roberto Cisnero said.
Through partnerships with the regional STEM community, NASA’s STEM Engagement provides local students with hands-on opportunities aligned with NASA’s missions. “Many students do not get the opportunity to be encouraged to pursue STEM careers. Part of our NASA mission is to be that encourager,” said Randy Thompson, deputy director for NASA Armstrong Research and Engineering.
Highlights from the visit included demonstrations at a mission control room, the Subscale Flight Research Laboratory, the Flight Loads Laboratory, and the Experimental Fabrication Shop, all of which support high-risk, atmospheric flight research and test projects. Students engaged with laboratory technicians, engineers, and program managers, asking questions about the work they do. “It was fun to see what the valued people at NASA do with all of the resources,” student Jonathan Peitz said.
NASA’s California Office of STEM Engagement hosted the visit in celebration of National Aviation History Month. By supporting students, educators, and expanding STEM participation, NASA aims to inspire future leaders and build a diverse, skilled workforce.
Students examine the Global Hawk Fairing Load Test at the Experimental Fabrication Shop at NASA’s Armstrong Research Flight Center in Edwards, California. The students are from the engineering club from Palmdale High School in Palmdale, California.NASA/Steve Freeman Students tour a control room at NASA’s Armstrong Research Flight Center in Edwards, California. The students are from the engineering club at Palmdale High School in Palmdale, California.NASA/Steve Freeman Students look at a subscale model at the Dale Reed Subscale Flight Research Laboratory at NASA’s Armstrong Research Flight Center in Edwards, California. The students are from the engineering club from Palmdale High School in Palmdale, California.NASA/Steve Freeman Students examine small parts made at the Experimental Fabrication Shop at NASA’s Armstrong Research Flight Center in Edwards, California. The students are from the engineering club from Palmdale High School in Palmdale, California.NASA/Steve Freeman Share
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Last Updated Feb 14, 2025 EditorDede DiniusContactArmstrong Communications Related Terms
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By NASA
NASA astronauts Don Pettit and Nick Hague are at the controls of the robotics workstation.
Credit: NASA
Students from Rocky Hill, Connecticut, will have the chance to connect with NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Don Pettit as they answer prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related questions from aboard the International Space Station.
Watch the 20-minute space-to-Earth call at 11:40 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 18, on NASA+ and learn how to watch NASA content on various platforms, including social media.
The event for kindergarten through 12th grade students will be hosted at Rocky Hill Library in Rocky Hill, near Hartford, Connecticut. The goal is to engage area students by introducing them to the wide variety of STEM career opportunities available in space exploration and related fields.
Media interested in covering the event must contact by 5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14, to Gina Marie Davies at: gdavies@rockyhillct.gov or 860-258-2530.
For more than 24 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.
Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lay the groundwork for other agency missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars; inspiring Artemis Generation explorers and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery.
See videos and lesson plans highlighting space station research at:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
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Abbey Donaldson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
Abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov
Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Feb 11, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Humans in Space Astronauts International Space Station (ISS) Space Communications & Navigation Program View the full article
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By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Artist’s concept of an emergency response flyer from a team at Texas A&M University and Oklahoma State University, one of 14 university teams that received NASA-supported GoAERO awards in 2025.Texas A&M University and Oklahoma State University With support from NASA, the international GoAERO Prize competition recently announced funding for 14 U.S. university teams to build innovative new compact emergency response aircraft.
The teams will develop prototype versions of Emergency Response Flyers, aircraft intended to perform rescue and response missions after disasters and in crisis situations. The flyers must be designed to deliver a first responder, evacuate victims, provide emergency medical supplies, and aid in humanitarian efforts. Teams will bring their test aircraft to a fly-off expected in 2027.
These awards will provide students with an opportunity that might have otherwise been difficult – a chance to design and build potentially lifesaving aircraft.
koushik datta
NASA Project Manager
“These awards will provide students with an opportunity that might have otherwise been difficult – a chance to design and build potentially lifesaving aircraft,” said Koushik Datta, University Innovation Project manager in NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “At NASA, we’re looking forward to seeing how these young innovators can contribute to our mission to advance futuristic aviation technologies that can benefit first responders and the public.”
With support from NASA’s University Innovation Project, GoAERO named 14 awardee teams at the following universities:
Auburn University, in Leeds, Alabama California Polytechnic University, in Pomona Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, in Daytona Beach, Florida Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, in Greensboro North Carolina State University, in Raleigh The Ohio State University, in Columbus Penn State University, in State College Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana Saint Louis University Texas A&M University, in College Station, and Oklahoma State University, in Stillwater University of Texas, Austin Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg Student teams can utilize the funds to purchase parts, materials, batteries, and other components for building their aircrafts.
When naming the university awardees, GoAERO – in partnership with Boeing, RTX, and Honeywell – also announced 11 winners of Stage 1 of its competition. These include teams from the private sector and universities. These awardees were selected to build full- or smaller-scale flyers for evaluation. Eight entries will be selected for the next round of Stage 2 awards. The GoAERO Prize is still accepting new teams. While prizes are awarded at Stage 1 and Stage 2, teams do not need to win prizes to continue on to the next stage or compete in the final fly-off.
In addition to the University Innovation Project support for the university teams, NASA has partnered with GoAERO through a non-funded Space Act Agreement to provide U.S. teams with mentorship, educational opportunities, and access to specialized software tools.
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Last Updated Feb 11, 2025 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related Terms
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By NASA
“This event made me realize that NASA really is a family. Everyone works together for a positive outcome; a shared, common interest,” said Dr. Trena Ferrell, NASA’s Earth Science Division’s Education and Publish Outreach Lead. “World-class scientist and engineers willingly give their time to tell the world about their expertise. They are good with people of all ages and are always particularly kind with kids, our next generation of explorers.”NASA / Bill Ingalls Name: Trena Ferrell
Title: Education and Public Outreach Lead for the Earth Science Division
Formal Job Classification: Environmental Scientist
Organization: Earth Science Division, Earth Science Directorate (Code 610)
What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard?
I interface with the public and educational institutions to share all the great research that our scientists and engineers are doing at NASA. I also support large-scale public events around the country and interact with citizen scientists.
I’ve always been passionate about science and education, so now I get to mesh my two passions together.
What is your educational background?
I have a Bachelor of Science in premedicine from Albright College in Redding, Pennsylvania; a master’s in developmental biology from American University in Washington, D.C.; and a Ph.D. in environmental science from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
How did you come to work for Goddard?
Initially I wanted to be a doctor, but I started teaching science at the middle school and high school at the Maya Angelou Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., and found that I loved teaching. (I got to meet her once, and she was phenomenal!)
Around 2000, I asked NASA to send a speaker, Dr. Octavia Tripp. Through her suggestion, I became an aerospace education specialist and then the NASA Explorer Schools Workshop Coordinator at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Around 2005, I became Goddard’s education representative for Maryland. In 2015, I became a public affairs specialist for Goddard’s Office of Communications. In 2016, I started in my current position.
What is your message to students?
I work with students from kindergarten through college. I want them to reach for the stars and realize that they can be scientists or engineers who work at NASA. I want them to know that NASA also offers a plethora of other careers, which I also want them to consider.
What is your message for citizen scientists?
I tell them that they are an important piece of the NASA puzzle who help us with our scientific efforts. For example, the Globe Observer App can be downloaded to a smart phone. Using this app, they can take photos of clouds, land cover, tree height, and mosquito larvae. They can also take tree height measurements.
What was your favorite large-scale event?
I was one of the co-leads for Goddard’s open house in 2015, my first large-scale project of this magnitude. Over 20,000 people attended. We had so many people that the Greenbelt Metro Station had to close. People even came from other states.
I loved seeing all our hard work pay off and how excited all the people were to be at Goddard. I especially enjoyed watching the kids interreacting with our scientists and engineers, asking questions. They are our future.
Dr. Trena Ferrell, the education and public outreach lead for NASA’s Earth Science Division, works with students from kindergarten through college. “I want them to reach for the stars and realize that they can be scientists or engineers who work at NASA. I want them to know that NASA also offers a plethora of other careers, which I also want them to consider.”NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / Bill Hrybyk When did you feel like you were part of the NASA family?
While working on our 2015 open house, I worked with an amazing team. Kudos to the Office of Communications; especially to Michelle Jones, Leslee Scott, Deanna Trask, and Amy Grigg.
This event made me realize that NASA really is a family. Everyone works together for a positive outcome; a shared, common interest. If you need help, someone shows up to help you without asking. And you do the same for others who need help.
World-class scientist and engineers willingly give their time to tell the world about their expertise. They are good with people of all ages and are always particularly kind with kids, our next generation of explorers.
How has working at Goddard changed your life?
While at Goddard, I met my husband Mark Branch, a Goddard engineer. He was our subject matter expert for a student outreach event I organized. We married two years after meeting, in 2010. Someday I’d like to write a book about all the couples who met at Goddard.
I sincerely thank everyone at Goddard who has touched my life and helped me!
Who has guided you the most in life?
My parents did everything they could to give my sister and me the best possible opportunities. They told us to dream big and to do big things. They are always there for us. They are amazing people!
I adore my family. I love that I have added new family members from NASA.
What do you do to relax?
I attended a French high school for my junior year and became an admirer of French culture and cuisine. I like to cook, including French food. I also love traveling. I enjoy reading fiction to relax.
Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage.
By Elizabeth M. Jarrell
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 Related Terms
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By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Equipped with state-of-the-art technology to test and evaluate communication, navigation, and surveillance systems NASA’s Pilatus PC-12 performs touch-and-go maneuvers over a runway at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California on Sept. 23, 2024. Researchers will use the data to understand Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signal loss scenarios for air taxi flights in urban areas. To prepare for ADS-B test flights pilots and crew from NASA Armstrong and NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, ran a series of familiarization flights. These flights included several approach and landings, with an emphasis on avionics, medium altitude air-work with steep turns, slow flight and stall demonstrations.NASA/Steve Freeman As air taxis, drones, and other innovative aircraft enter U.S. airspace, systems that communicate an aircraft’s location will be critical to ensure air traffic safety.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires aircraft to communicate their locations to other aircraft and air traffic control in real time using an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system. NASA is currently evaluating an ADS-B system’s ability to prevent collisions in a simulated urban environment. Using NASA’s Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, researchers are investigating how these systems could handle the demands of air taxis flying at low altitudes through cities.
When operating in urban areas, one particular challenge for ADS-B systems is consistent signal coverage. Like losing cell-phone signal, air taxis flying through densely populated areas may have trouble maintaining ADS-B signals due to distance or interference. If that happens, those vehicles become less visible to air traffic control and other aircraft in the area, increasing the likelihood of collisions.
NASA pilot Kurt Blankenship maps out flight plans during a pre-flight brief. Pilots, crew, and researchers from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California and NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are briefed on the flight plan to gather Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast signal data between the aircraft and ping-Stations on the ground at NASA Armstrong. These flights are the first cross-center research activity with the Pilatus-PC-12 at NASA Armstrong.NASA/Steve Freeman To simulate the conditions of an urban flight area and better understand signal loss patterns, NASA researchers established a test zone at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Sept. 23 and 24, 2024.
Flying in the agency’s Pilatus PC-12 in a grid pattern over four ADS-B stations, researchers collected data on signal coverage from multiple ground locations and equipment configurations. Researchers were able to pinpoint where signal dropouts occurred from the strategically placed ground stations in connection to the plane’s altitude and distance from the stations. This data will inform future placement of additional ground stations to enhance signal boosting coverage.
“Like all antennas, those used for ADS-B signal reception do not have a constant pattern,” said Brad Snelling, vehicle test team chief engineer for NASA’s Air Mobility Pathfinders project. “There are certain areas where the terrain will block ADS-B signals and depending on the type of antenna and location characteristics, there are also flight elevation angles where reception can cause signal dropouts,” Snelling said. “This would mean we need to place additional ground stations at multiple locations to boost the signal for future test flights. We can use the test results to help us configure the equipment to reduce signal loss when we conduct future air taxi flight tests.”
Working in the Mobile Operations Facility at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, NASA Advanced Air Mobility researcher Dennis Iannicca adjusts a control board to capture Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data during test flights. The data will be used to understand ADS-B signal loss scenarios for air taxi flights in urban areas.NASA/Steve Freeman The September flights at NASA Armstrong built upon earlier tests of ADS-B in different environments. In June, researchers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland flew the Pilatus PC-12 and found a consistent ADS-B signal between the aircraft and communications antennas mounted on the roof of the center’s Aerospace Communications Facility. Data from these flights helped researchers plan out the recent tests at NASA Armstrong. In December 2020, test flights performed under NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign used an OH-58C Kiowa helicopter and ground-based ADS-B stations at NASA Armstrong to collect baseline signal information.
NASA’s research in ADS-B signals and other communication, navigation, and surveillance systems will help revolutionize U.S. air transportation. Air Mobility Pathfinders researchers will evaluate the data from the three separate flight tests to understand the different signal transmission conditions and equipment needed for air taxis and drones to safely operate in the National Air Space. NASA will use the results of this research to design infrastructure to support future air taxi communication, navigation, and surveillance research and to develop new ADS-B-like concepts for uncrewed aircraft systems.
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Last Updated Jan 23, 2025 EditorDede DiniusContactLaura Mitchelllaura.a.mitchell@nasa.govLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related Terms
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